Comments on: Capitalism Bee Sustainable

By: Andrew'

Andrew' — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 08:15:46 +0000

Depends on our semantics. If non-toxic air is owned collectively it could be a resource sustainability issue with an ownership solution.

One question is whether government is part of the solution or the problem. The answer is of course both at the same time.

By: Handle

Handle — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:43:19 +0000

Lead pollution is not a ‘resource exhaustion / unsustainability’ problem.

By: Dave Smith

Dave Smith — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:55:45 +0000

See? The millions of dollars and the long acronym thingy worked.

By: Tom DeMeo

Tom DeMeo — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:24:04 +0000

I’m all in favor of using the markets where it works, and ultimately, I’m not worried about Dodo’s, I’m worried about people. But everything can’t be solved with ownership. The incentives and time frames just don’t always line up.

An example of government intervention – the removal of lead in gasoline and paint.

By: Handle

Handle — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 02:13:14 +0000

The burden of proof should be on the other party. Has there ever been an good historical example of capitalist unsustainable ‘exploitation’ of some valuable resource that was only remedied through government intervention?

I think the best examples might be tragedies of the commons such as issues with open-sea fisheries and perhaps hunting the dodo bird and other species into extinction or severe endangerment.

Many economists say that the answer to these sorts of problems is more capitalism, by which they mean clear and strong property rights in currently unowned, wild animals, and a legal market for unconventional livestock farming operations that satisfy the demands of hunters and consumers of the exotic-substances produced by these animals.

Still, while it’s a bummer not being able to see a live dodo, the real value of the existence of any particular species besides the commercial demand is hard to estimate, especially when most people treat it as a sacred value that cannot be priced.

By: Tom DeMeo

Tom DeMeo — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 22:12:16 +0000

This article gives an interesting take on the situation

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/youre-worrying-wrong-bees/

This line of thinking provides us with sustainability… subject to short term cost benefit analysis.

By: MG

MG — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 12:08:06 +0000

I recently attended an informal presentation by an officer of the local beekeepers assoc. Fascinating is an understatement. Among other facts: a lot of commercial agricultural fertilization occurs through cross-state-borders trade. Beekeepers “truck” colonies from low demand (usually due to season) places to high demand places. They go where the fees (after expenses) yield the highest incentive. Presumably fees reflect local bee supply demand plus value of the crop.

In other words, the asset formerly know as the “bee” (more precisely, the “bee colony”) is not only growing, but its “turnover rate” has been increasing as well!